Sk8r Boi

On Matthew Noseworthy’s boarding journeys

RACHEL D’SA // ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR

Mesmerizing skateboarding videos have been plastering Facebook newsfeeds and hitting viral video levels over the last few years, which should come as no surprise. Skateboarding, a sport viewed as the ultimate cool-kid after school activity has increasingly reached new heights each year with new developments in competitions, styles of riding and the introduction of the sport to new communities.

Committed skateboarder and longboarder, Matthew Noseworthy, knows the scene like the back of his hand. In addition to having attended Capilano University for a year as a part of the Business Administration program, Noseworthy credits the sport as what primarily made him move to British Columbia from his hometown in Toronto. “All my friends and people I’ve met in Vancouver have been through skateboarding,” said Noseworthy. “People are always on the hill,” he added, noting that he’s noticed the downhill boarding scene is alive and well and speculates that street skating is also thriving.

However, Noseworthy explained that the skateboarding community can be misunderstood and underestimated at times in regard to their actions. “Most people, as well as cops, think we don’t have breaks and are not able to stop. We fully do,” he said. “We don’t go down hills and just hope. If we didn’t feel confident in our abilities we would not skate the roads we do.

Photo c/o Dylan Pierce

When asked about his many nicknames, including Chang Malto and Lil B Noseworthy, in a September 2015 interview with Jonathan Nuss for skateboarding and longboarding magazine Skate Slate, Noseworthy stated, “When it comes to names and hiding from the law, they can’t give you a ticket if you don’t have a real name… Pretty sure there is a decent amount of people in Vancouver that don’t know my real name.”

The community aspect of the sport comes naturally to many. Noseworthy explained that with the diverse range of boarding styles and activities, under the general skating umbrella, comes preference and potentially bad blood due to misconceptions. “Thrasher or most street skaters dislike longboarding. So, Thrasher most definitely hasn’t helped popularize the sport,” he said.

What started out as simply a way of transporting himself to and from school quickly turned into a passion once he discovered sliding and high-speed boarding down hills.

Full-forcedly picking up the sport during his summer break entering Grade 11, Noseworthy soon found himself captivated, purchasing slide gloves – he hasn’t stopped since. Given the current season, Noseworthy hopes he can ride twice a week filling up his schedule with as much time on the board as he can get, he constantly works towards fine tuning his skill set to get to where he wants to go.

While Noseworthy has been skateboarding since around the age of 10, and finds himself on his seventh year of downhill, his diverse experience hasn’t stunted his possibilities. He noted that over the years he has entered in competitions, and has looked into the World Cup race circuit that connects Asia, Europe, North America, South America and Australia, exhibiting the global reach of the sport and its community. “The experience of racing is pretty competitive as to be expected,” he said. Races have heats of four proceed down the courses, with only the first two to finish moving on to the next round. “As for training, for me, I try and put as much time on board. Others cross train in the gym.”

Noseworthy advises those looking to join the community by trying their hand at the sport to wear the proper safety gear and to not be afraid to fall as it is just a part of the experience. He also urged that those interested stick with it because it is a great thing to experience. While Noseworthy understands that the risk associated with the sport may deter some, nothing can get between him, his board and his community. “Going to skate ‘till I can’t anymore.”